Lost and Found
by Yuki Yanagi
Summary: Inu Yasha is a painter. One night he finds a girl in the street with a high fever and cuts all over her body. After losing his inspiration,Inu yasha chooses her as his model, will it work? R&R please. Later chapters may contain lemon..just a warning.
1. Meeting in the Dark

Chapter 1 –  
The Muse  
  
Inu Yasha walked around town, wandering, and waiting. The buildings all looked the same from every angle. Window, door, window, door, the pattern was endless. Nothing inspired him anymore, the beauty of nature no longer appealed to his eyes. The body of a woman no longer made him think and most of all, he could no longer paint.  
  
Being half mortal, half demon – Inu Yasha had the gift of art from a young age. Painting anything he saw and bringing them to life through his paintings. Many times he has painted women but, never succeeded in capturing the real emotion and beauty of any of them. Some years ago, Inu Yasha fell in love with a young maiden named Kikyou. She was his muse for many paintings; she had inspired him to do more than he could ever do.  
  
Their emotions for each other grew with every painting. However, one day, it all stopped. Inu Yasha walked into his studio, only to find Kikyou in the arms of another man. Today was that day, he couldn't stand standing there –looking at her as she stared back at him, in the arms of another man. Unable to control his anger, Inu Yasha smashed every painting he ever did of Kikyou. After this, he left his studio and threw her the keys.  
  
As one of the most well known artists in England, Inu Yasha had money by the barrel load; the studio was only an object in which he held his paintings. There were plenty of those for him, however a muse was hard to find. Inspiration had to come at the right time, in the right place for it to become a masterpiece.  
  
Inu Yasha, not only had talent but education. Studying under some of the most world renowned artists and painters, he grasped the concept of art at a very young age. Now he entered the prime time in his life and a time where he needed to chose a wife. However, no matter where he went, women no longer appealed to him. Beauty was illusive to his eyes.  
  
The rain started to pour down as Inu Yasha walked through the streets of England. Suddenly he stopped, and looked down at a large puddle in front of him. Bending down he looked at his reflection in the dirty water. His bright amber eyes shone out from his face and greatly contrasted his silver white hair. Many women had called him handsome and a cutie, but he never saw the attraction they had to him. Behind the silver hair was a pair of small white ears, twitching as the rain hit them.  
  
The shuffle of clothing caught his attention and made him spring to his feet and reach for his sword – hidden under his clothes. A young maiden was slowly walking through the rain, under piles upon piles of drenched clothing, as is she was pushed into a river. The girl looked up and stared Inu Yasha in the eyes from afar. Then he felt it, the pounding of his heart against his chest, the inspiration rushing to his brain.  
  
Her beauty, so pure, so mystifying. He thought to himself as he loosened his grip on his sword. The girl looked down again and continued to walk in Inu Yasha's direction. Gathering up his courage, Inu Yasha slowly walked forwards in hope of being able to talk to her. However before a word was said the young girl fell to the floor suddenly. Inu Yasha ran forwards and held her in his arms. The cloths over her head fell off revealing a head full of luscious black hair.  
  
Taking a good look at the maiden, he realized her strange likeness to Kikyou, before she had changed. Her hair was messy, lifting his hand; Inu Yasha brushed aside some hair from her face.  
"Such beauty." He whispered to himself as he held onto the girl, as if she was a precious painting. Before he could control his emotions and movements, Inu Yasha picked the girl up in his arms and carried her off to the nearest tavern he could find.  
  
Lady Sango sat behind the bar and continued to clean her cups as she considered whether or not to close the doors. The rain was too hard and no one would come drinking- which means no business and a waste of her good money to keep it open. Placing the glass down, Sango walked towards the door and placed her hands on the knob. Before reaching for the lock, the door swung open and knocked her back. In front of Sango stood a silver haired boy with a young maiden in his arms.  
"I need a room, and some hot water." He demanded as he walked in, kicking the door shut behind him. Sango stood, stunned for a second before running off and fetching a key.  
  
"Would you like a one bed or two bed sir?" She called from behind the counter. Before even thinking, Inu Yasha called out.  
  
"One."  
  
Sango quickly picked off a key and ran up the stairs, with the soaking wet boy behind her. Leading him down multiple well heated corridors, she came to a small door and opened it with the key. Inside, at the very centre of the room sat a four post queen size bed. The room was very well furnished and decorated with great taste. As Sango stood at the door, she watched as the boy placed the young girl on the bed with immense care and extreme gentility. He quickly turned and gave Sango a smile.  
  
This was the first time she saw his face clearly. He was a handsome boy, but not of her taste. However his face looked familiar – someone she'd seen before. Snapping herself out of her daze, she handed him the key and wished him and his young girl a good night. As Sango closed the door, she thought for another moment about the boy and walked down to the counter to lock up.  
  
Inside, Inu Yasha walked around, wandering what to do with the girl. He couldn't let her die, he couldn't think of how to save her either. Remembering what Kikyou had once told him, he rushed over to the bed and started to peel away the girl's clothes. Taking off layer after layer, he finally reached her clothes. Throwing the cloths aside he gently began to unbutton her shit, exposing her undergarments (which he was very glad that she wore, knowing some of the women he did –who didn't). She was a nicely formed girl, with long legs and a stunning figure. Slowly lifting her up, he placed her under the covers and covered her up to her chin.  
  
Inu Yasha took off his over coat and sat down in a chair beside the girl, staring at her. Placing his sword beside him, he stared the girl in the face. Her face was thin, but nicely formed with matching nose and eyes. It was her lips that made her the beauty she was, the thick yet thin lips stood out from her face and made her shine.  
  
Inu Yasha leaned in closer to brush away some hair from her face. Leaning in closer, he felt her warm breath on his face, and his nose caught onto a scent – an alluring scent, that seemed to eradicate from her body naturally. The scent soon made him feel somewhat dizzy and before he knew what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed the stranger on the lips. 


	2. Inntoxication

> I don't own anything!
> 
> Wow..Kagome faints a lot in this chapter...from now on assume that her fainting is because she's caught this really bad fever but doesn't know it yet and she keeps fainting cause her temperature is so high.
> 
> Chapter 2  
  
Inn - toxication  
  
As the night passed, the rain soon diminished to a light drizzle. Inside the room, Inu Yasha sat, asleep in a chair beside the bed. Sleeping in the bed was the young girl, dark raven hair covered every inch of the pillow as her head rested on it. Slowly, the girl stirred and opened her eyes. Looking around, she started to worry at where she was. She brushed aside her hair and caught a glimpse of the boy in the chair beside her.  
  
_ 'A boy...in a room....with me...'_ She thought to herself as she began to worry. Looking under her covers she discovered that she only had on her undergarments. _'What did I do, what did I do?!'_ She thought to herself, worried. Inu Yasha's ears twitched and he opened his eyes.  
  
Looking the girl in face, his amber eyes shone. The girl quickly grabbed the covers and held it over her body. Inu Yasha, taking a whiff of the air in the room began to feel dizzy, again. Her scent was so strong. Slowly, before he could control himself he began to move forward. He crawled onto the bed and the girl shuffled backwards, towards the wall. Inu Yasha lifted his arms and put them on the wall, against her face.  
  
Leaning in, he moved his face closer to her. The girl squirmed with discomfort as she tried to move away. Before thinking, she opened her mouth and let out a scream as loud as possible. Inu Yasha snapped out of his daze and fell back, holding his ears. Kagome jumped out of bed and grabbed her clothes from the floor, covering her half naked body.  
  
Inu Yasha sat on the bed, and turned bright red. jumped out of bed and grabbed her clothes from the floor, covering her half naked body.  
  
Inu Yasha sat on the bed, and turned bright red. _'What the hell was I doing?'_ He asked himself. Kagome stood against the wall holding her clothes to her body, afraid to move.  
  
This was when Inu Yasha caught a glimpse of her arms, covered in bruises and cuts, all along her shoulders and across her stomach. Why hadn't he noticed this last night when he undressed her?  
  
The girl opened her mouth again.
> 
> "What am I doing here, why are my clothes all over the room. WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" She began to yell. Inu Yasha held up his hands as if to calm her down.  
  
"Please, Miss....let me explain before you do anything rational."  
  
"RATIONAL?" She yelled. "I'm standing in front of you, in a locked room, half naked and you're trying to explain yourself. Tell me. What did you do to me?"  
  
"Please, I did not do anything." Inu Yasha explained felling himself getting angry at her stubbornness.  
  
"Explain, fine, explain yourself." She replied calming down. Inu Yasha looked at her, standing there. Thinking back to the night before, she was standing in the rain. He soon felt worried that she may catch a cold standing in the room, with only her undergarments on. Standing up, he pulled the blankets of the bed and walked over to her.  
  
She began to squirm again, as he moved closer. Her heart began to beat viciously in her chest. _'He's moving closer, why is he moving closer? What's he going to do to me?' _She thought to herself. As he was in arms length, the girl screamed again and grabbed the nearest chair and brought it down on his head as hard as she could. He quickly fell to the floor and she screamed again.  
  
Sango, who had heard the first scream thought nothing of it. Then when she heard the second scream she grabs her hiraikotsu and ran for the room. Turning the door quickly, she rushes in holding the oversized boomerang in her hands above her head, ready to strike. In the room, at the nearest corner, stood the girl, half stripped, holding a chair over her head.  
  
The young boy lay on the floor with a large bubble forming on the top of his head. Lifting his head, he looked at the girl angrily.  
  
"What was that for wench?" He yelled loudly. The girl screamed again and continued to hit the boy with the chair.  
  
Sango dropped her boomerang and walked over to the girl. Picking up her clothes for her, she took the chair from her and wrapped her in the blankets. The young girl looked Sango in the eyes and gave a small smile or gratitude. Before Sango could react, the young girl's body went limp and fell into her arms.  
  
Inu Yasha jumped up from the floor, as if forgetting his pains and took the girl from Sango's arms. Lifting her up, the girl unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. As Inu Yasha bent down he placed her on the bed and covered her up again.  
  
"Excuse me sir?" Sango asked, shyly.  
  
"Yes" he replied not looking at her.  
  
"Are you Inu Yasha?" Sango asked, feeling herself turn red.  
  
"What's it to you?" Inu Yasha replied still not looking at her.  
  
"Well, I love your painting, 'Portrait of a Lost City', it's hung right in this tavern... downstairs."  
  
"Humph." Was all that he said, turning his attention to the girl. Sango took this as a sign, and left him alone with the girl. "Could you bring me more hot water?" He asked as she left. Giving a nod, she left the room.  
  
The girl stirred around and round in the bed as Inu Yasha tried to calm her down. Opening her eyes, she sat straight up. Looking Inu Yasha in the eyes, she reached out and held onto him with both arms. Pulling him in close she held him as if holding onto dear life. Inu Yasha drew back with sudden surprise but soon relaxed and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
He soon caught a whiff of water, tears. The girl was crying, she was scared.  
  
"I'm sorry," She whispered to him, "please, don't leave me alone, he'll come get me." Inu Yasha understood her fear now, and gave a small nod.  
  
Letting him go, she leaned back and wiped away her tears. Looking him in the eyes, she smiled slightly and fainted again.


	3. Meet the Monk Day

Well, well, well.....I've decided to change my writing style a bit, I've found that my chapter seems to get shorter and shorter as the chapter numbers get bigger and bigger...(is that supposed to happen?

--'') So, from now on I plan to put more into a chapter than just a couple of paragraphs and a dialogue.........

Yes, I am aware that Kagome is too sophisticated for Kagome and that was the entire plan from the beginning...it makes her more like Kikyou...somewhat, which isn't the point, but that's what draw IY's attentions to her. Basically, if IY wasn't so interested...I wouldn't have anything to babble on about...

Chapter 3

Meet the Monk Day

Inu Yasha sat by the bed, watching over the raven haired girl lying in bed. She had just fallen asleep after 3 hours of frantic apologies and random bursts into tear for hitting him over the head. He sat by the bed, leaning slightly, watching her as her chest puffed up and down under the bulky blankets. The sun had slowly begun to set and red and orange streaks of light pierced in through the windows, illuminating the room.

A small knock broke the silence and Inu Yasha slowly stood to open the door. Sango stood in the doorway, with a large smile on her face and a tray in her hand. In the tray sat a couple of small snacks and a matching cups with a large jug. Walking in, she set her tray down and unloaded the items onto a small table close to the bed.

Slowly she smoothed out the wrinkles and sat down on the bed. Sango looked up to see a pair of great big pair of deep brown eyes stare at her from the head of the bed. Sango smiled at her and she returned a smile, showing the small dimples on the sides of her face. Moving in closer to her, Sango placed a hand on her forehead and felt her temperature. Satisfied with the warmth of her brow, she brushed away some of the stray hairs on her head and smiled again.

Not looking away, Sango reached for the jug of water only to find her hand colliding with another and she felt a small spray of water on her right hand. Looking up, she met Inu Yasha's face, staring down at her; his hand holding a small cup of water and offering it to her. Smiling, once again, Sango took the cup and handed it to the girl.

Having somewhat difficulty sitting up, the girl strained to move and found her falling backwards into the bed. Sango's hand shot out and grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her into sitting position. Inu Yasha walked over and parked himself on the floor with his hands before him and his legs sticking out to the side, like a dogs, and watched the girl in bed. The girl turned to the half dog half human on the floor and looked away, pouting out her lips.

Sango smiled, again, and looked out the window. The sun was almost set and red streaks dashed across the horizon mixed in with orange. Sighing to herself, Sango turned back to the young girl.

"May I ask you your name?" Sango asked gently, scared to speak too loud. The girl turned to her and started at her, unblinking, with her brown eyes. Slowly a smile formed on her face.

"My name," She replied, feeling cheerful. "is Kagome."

"Kagome..." Sango repeated, remembering it.

"My name is Sango."

"Sango...."Kagome whispered. The two girls smiled at each other, suddenly both stopped as they felt a small shock seep through their bodies as if they had met before, a long time ago. Brushing aside the feeling Kagome moved slightly in the bed and lowered her body to bow to Sango.

"Thank you very much for saving me, and bringing me here." Kagome added smiling at Sango.

"No, no." Sango protested. "Don't thank me, I didn't do anything- I only own this place. The person you should thank is Inu Yasha. He's the one who brought you here." She added, pointing to the silver haired half breed who had made his way to a chair beside the bed.

"Thank...you." Kagome whispered, turning away. Inu Yasha looked at her and cocked his head to the side; letting out a small "Keh", but feeling very satisfied with himself.

Sango laughed to herself at the artist and turned her attention back to Kagome.

"So?," She asked, "what brings you to jolly old England?"

Kagome turned towards her and her face froze. "I..I..I..came here for my brother."

"Brother?" Sango asked.

"Yes, my brother is very sick and needs western medicine. We came here from Japan, in search of a cure for his illness."

"What's he sick with?" Sango asked. Kagome felt herself burn with anger.

"That's the problem!" She screamed burring her face into her covers. "We don't know what he's sick with and every doctor we've gone to doesn't know either." She replied, between sobs.

"I'm so sorry...for bringing it up." Sango added, picking up her things quickly and rushing out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Inu Yasha, seeing that Sango had left, moved onto the bed beside Kagome. Slowly, he lifted his hand and placed it on her head. Kagome froze and looked up, teary eyed. A pair of amber eyes looked her in the eyes and stared at her non stop. Kagome, feeling somewhat awkward screamed and pushed Inu Yasha with all her might, knocking him over, and grabbed the covers and hid.

Wrapping the covers tightly, she formed a small oval in the middle of the bed, and began to cry. Inu Yasha stayed where he was, lying down on the bed facing the ceiling.

'_Goddamn stupid wench, what the hell is her problem? I try to help and she pushes me away..'_

Lifting himself up again, he looked at the blob in the middle of the bed. Feeling frustrated, he crossed his arms and legs and sat at the end of the bed. His ears perked as he heard her sobs under the bed, and deciding to leave her alone, he sat there.

Sango ran down the stairs and stopped at the bar holding her mouth as tears dripped down her face. Her legs turned soft and she fell to the ground, covering herself with her arms Sango let go and began to cry. Kohaku's image began to appear in her mind, the little brother she had sent to America in hopes that he could become more than an Inn owner, like the rest of their family.

Sango secretly swore not to cry for her separation from her brother but it had become difficult after the sudden death of both their parents. One day they left the house, and that night, they never returned. The next morning, Sango heard about a murder on the path outside of England. Never did she consider that it would be her parents.

The floor was cold and hard as Sango spread herself over it. Kirara, her small cat walked towards her, mewing. Sango lifted her red face and pulled her in close, resting her teary eyes on her soft fur. Soon she began to sob again, with only the comfort of her cat, and she didn't hear the door open and a young man walk in, holding a staff in his hands.

The gentleman walked towards Sango and rested his staff on the ground. Placing a hand on Sango's shoulder he began to speak.

"Miss?" He asked, shaking her gently. Sango stopped crying and lifted her head to see a young monk's eyes staring back at her. His dark eyes, his small strands of hair falling over his face and his two gold earrings, one on each ear. "Miss, are you all right?" He asked, his voice deep and charming.

Sango lay flat on the floor, stunned by his sudden presence, which she had not detected, and the man himself. Lifting herself up slowly, she let go of Kirara and wiped furiously at her face, rubbing away all the fallen tears. The young boy lifted his hand and placed in on her face, moving up her cheek he wiped away a tear and smiled at Sango. Sango looked the monk in the eyes and felt her limbs go stiff.

The two sat on the ground, staring at each other. The monk put his hands down and grabbed Sango's with both hands. Lifting them up to his face he smiled.

"My name is Miroku," he began, "I have traveled from far away in search of something that I cannot find."

Sango, feeling mesmerized by his voice nodded. "My name... is Sango." She responded, "What is it that you search?" She asked.

"I am in search of a woman..."He added pulling Sango in closer to him, "to bear my children." Sango felt as if a rock landed on her head, pulling her hands out of his she quickly stood. Turing around quickly, she clenched a fist and knocked the stranger on the head, leaving a large bump.

"Such inhospitality, from such a fragile flower." Miroku said standing up. "I come in search of lodgment for the night." Sango looked at him and turned around to fetch a key in the back room. Miroku followed, picking up his staff as he stood.

Reaching up high, for the highest key, Sango's fingers lingered, trying to reach. Suddenly, she stopped. Turning around slowly, she felt a hand on her backside, where no hand should be. Turning she saw the Monk...with his hand on her rear. Clenching her hand into a fist once again, she brought it down on his head again, leaving a second bump. Shoving the key into his chest she stormed away angrily yelling as she left, "Find the room yourself, Hentai!"

Miroku stood in the middle of the small room, rubbing his head. Slowly, he let his hand fall to his side and a small smile smirked across his face.

"Ah," he said to himself, "that, was worth every bruise on my head." Throwing the keys into the air and catching them, he smiled as he walked off down the heated halls in search of room 001.

Inu Yasha sat impatiently on the bed, waiting for Kagome to come out. Soon, he grew irritated and reached for the blankets, giving it a big tug. Kagome grabbed onto the covers with all her might, and stopped them from moving. Inu Yasha tugged and again, the same result. Giving up he moved to the side of the bed and fingered away at the covers. Kagome tugged the sheet in closer and held on tight.

"Damn it, wench." Inu Yasha called, angrily.

"What did you call me?!" Kagome yelled back, muffled by the bedspread.

"Get the hell out of there before you suffocate yourself to death."

"Like you care!"

"Damn it, why the fuck do you have to be so goddamn stubborn."

"Why do you care?!" Kagome asked. Inu Yasha stepped back at the question.

"I...I..., well if you die, I would be in trouble wouldn't I? Not something I want."

"Ha, some reason that is. I don't care what you say I'm not getting out of here." Kagome replied and covered herself even tighter. Inu Yasha had had too much, stepping forwards he dug his nails into the blankets, creating small holes with his fingers and pulled with all his might. Kagome lost her hold on the blankets and the sheets flew off her face.

The bright light poured in from all around her and burned her eyes slightly. Her face as flush red from the crying and the muffling. Slowly, her face began to cool and she opened her eyes, to meet the same pair of eyes she had encountered earlier. She stared back into them as they gazed upon her with such gentleness.

Kagome quickly turned away as she felt the tears returning. Inu Yasha leapt over the bed and landed on the other side.

"Kagome." He said. "That's your name isn't it?" He waited for a response but received none, and assuming her was right her continued. "You know, you look familiar...like Kikyou." He said, as his voice slowly diminished to a whisper when he said her name.

'_The queen's daughter?'_ Kagome thought to herself.

Inu Yasha looked at her longer before reaching into his shirt and pulling out a small charcoal pencil and a sheet of paper. Pulling up a chair, he began to scratch away at the paper, occasionally looking up at Kagome. After a few minutes, he put the pencil down and lifted his work. Walking over to her, he sat down and held up the sheet.

Kagome, slightly interested in what he had done, lifted herself off the bed and moved in closer to get a better look. On the paper, was a sketch of her, done roughly in dark lines. It was like looking into a mirror and having the reflecting staring back at her, with cold dark eyes. Kagome moved in closer to get a better look and her brushed his nose and face gently. Inu Yasha felt chills run down his spine as he felt her soft hair brushin gby her, leaving her intoxicating scent.

"My eyes aren't empty." Kagome added, reaching over and pointing at the picture, exposing her scarred arm in front of Inu Yasha. Inu Yasha turned to her and placed a hand on her arm. Kagome, seeing that she had left herself open to him tried to pull away, but he kept his grip firm on her arm. She turned her head and pulled with all her might, nothing happened.

'Stop fidgeting." He commanded, gently. Kagome turned to him, eyes wide. He stared back at her before looking down at her arm. "Tell me, who did this?" He demanded. Kagome remained silent.

"It's none of your business." She whispered, knowing that he could hear her with his ears.

"That's not the point." He replied. "Kagome, you are my inspiration, I can't have your hurt like this."

Kagome stared at him, straight in the eyes. She felt her heart jump madly inside her chest.

'_What does he mean, inspiration?'_, she thought to herself, _'_ _why does he care?'_


	4. Parlez vous le francais?

Well... new chapter... uh, well, I'm kinda running low on things to write... suggestions are welcomed. Anyways..., yup...yes...I do have a lot of spelling mistakes, this is not entirely my fault. If you don't understand or there doesn't seem to be that word in the dictionary, please feel free to randomly put words there so that you understand and tell me in a review or something. I apologize again before hand at my terrible typing skills. sigh

If anyone sees any totally incomprehensible words, please tell me, and I will try to remember to spell check.

I don't own anything!! Nothing, I own nothing.

looks around I'm really confused right now... is this Fic getting anywhere? Please review...need to know! R&R!!

Chapter 4

Parlez-vous le français?

' "_I love you."_

_A young black haired boy whispered gently holding a small girl in his arms. Brushing aside her dark hair he lifted her face to the same height as his. She was still young, no more that 3 and he was only 4. But they felt a link between them that no one could understand._

_As if they'd met before, a long time ago._

_Wrapping his hands around her face, he leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Feeling the soft skin under his lips, the boy moved away from her. Tears formed in her small round eyes and trickled down her face._

_The boy smiled at her and held her hand._

_"I will find you again, I promise, I will find you again." He said pulling her in and resting his head on hers. "I will grow to be a wealthy man after selling many books and find you again, I will write about you, that way we can find each other again." He added._

_"Will you write it in French?" She asked, jokingly as she looked up at him trying to relieve the tense situation. The boy, not understanding her smile took this seriously and remembered forever to write about her... in French, although he had never heard of this "French" before._

_"Yes," He replied with a smile (and misunderstood by the girl as well), "I will write all about you in French."_

_Letting go of her hand, he ran off and disappeared into the woods.'_

Miroku laid flat on his back, looking up at the red ceiling and thinking of the small raven haired girl. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out a small piece of worn down paper. Opening it, a face stared back at him with a smile. It was her, the girl he met so long ago, and never forgot. Her jet black hair was tied into two small ponytails that hung from the side of her face and her smile, shinning out of the roughly sketched portrait. She was embedded into his mind, the only thing he had dominated his thoughts for the past 17 years.

Since he left the temple, Miroku had been in a frantic search for her, going everywhere – to every city imaginable in Europe, while leaning French on the way. Folding the picture up again Miroku sat up and looked around.

The room had been nicely decorated, paintings everywhere. But one of them caught his eye, a rather small one compared to the others. Hanging by itself on a wall beside the dresser; walking over, Miroku looked at the picture.

In it was the roman ruins, painted like they were real, and in the middle stood a young woman, with flowing red hair looking back and staring out of the picture. Although she paled in comparison to the amount of detail the painter had spent painting her, she radiated with beauty.

Looking a little bit lower, Miroku noticed the name of the painter and the painting's name. It looked as if the name had been scratched in with a sharp nail and it read "Portrait of a Lost City", under that was the name, scratched in deep brown paint, "Inu Yasha".

Taking a step back, Miroku looked at the picture and smiled. He greatly admired this "Inu Yasha" character for taking this step. Not many painters in England painted scenery in this era, it seemed too rebellious. Every picture had been or had a woman figure half naked (which were Miroku's personal favorite pictures) standing or in some position in the painting.

Still smiling, Miroku walked back to the bed and fetched his French book. Taking the key of the room and pocketing it beside his French book, he walked out into the halls and down to the hall where he met Sango the night before.

Sango stood behind the bar; working away frantically serving the customers that came down for breakfast. A couple of young men were out back, in the kitchen and cooking like madmen, while Sango took charge of the front and the bills, being the only of out of the group who had received a proper education and who could count past 10.

Sango, after pouring a cup of orange juice turned quickly and handed it to the customer.

"Here you are sir, enjoy!" Sango said with a smile. Suddenly, she stopped what she was doing and looked past the man, staring. The man, mistaking this thought she was staring at him. Looking Sango up and down, he spit on his hands and brushed it in his hair, flattening the few strands that stuck out.

Sango stood there, holding a rag and staring. Slowly a smile formed on her face and she put the dirty cloth down on the counter. Opening the small door, she walked out slowly. The man turned in his seat, as if receiving her, but was severely disappointed when she walked right passed him. The man crouched with despair, but still his eyes followed her across the room where she met a young girl.

Kagome stood in the light and waved to Sango. She had finally gotten out of the sea of covers, gotten dressed and walked out of the room for the first time in 2 days. Dressed in a light blue dress that went down to her calves and changed to white half way up the dress, the front was just slightly higher than her chest and curved to her shoulders with long sleeves hanging down. It was slightly large on the shoulders but fit her body perfectly. She smiled at the groups of people at each table.

As she stood there, the heads began to turn towards her and stare at her non-stop, making her feel very uncomfortable.

Sango walked up to her and reached for her hands. Holding the up, she felt the warmth beneath her skin. Smiling Sango lead her towards the bar and gave her a seat away from all the men. Walking behind the counter, she gave Kagome a cup of orange juice and leaned onto the counter to face Kagome.

"So, Kagome, how'd you meet mister tall, dark, half-breed and mysterious?" She asked jokingly. Kagome almost chocked on her juice.

Looking up she smiled at Sango. "You mean Inu Yasha?" She asked innocently, taking a slurp of her juice.

"Yup." Sango added, from the other side of the bar – filing a bill. Kagome giggle slightly. Sango laughed from the other end and walked over, while cleaning a cup.

Kagome looked up at the ceiling. "Actually, I'm not quite sure. All I remember is that I was walking down Young Street 2 nights ago, and I met Inu Yasha. He was just standing there...in the rain...looking...in...a...puddle." Kagome said gently, slightly trailing off thinking of what Inu Yasha looked like in the rain. A slight blush appeared on Kagome's cheeks as the image returned to her.

'Inu Yasha stood in the rain, looking down into a murky grey puddle. As Kagome shuffled under her bundle of clothing, he looked up. His bright eyes pierced her eyes and penetrated to the back of her skull.

His hair covered parts of his white face and slightly red cheeks. His face so structured, so handsome and perfect with...'

"Kagome!" Sango shouted. "Earth to Kagome?" She repeated, waving her hand in front of her face back and forth. Kagome snapped out of her daze and looked Sango in the eyes. Smiling slightly she felt herself blush and turn a bright red as Sango burst out laughing.

Looking around, Kagome realized that everyone had left. She was the only one sitting there, still holding her orange juice.

"What's so funny?" A voice asked from behind her. Sango froze and a look of anger crossed her face. She quickly looked around for something to do. Kagome recognizing the voice turned around to meet a familiar face. His gold earring and boyish 'regular' looks, although Kagome did admit to her self mentally that he did look pretty good...sometimes.

"Miroku-san!" She screamed as she leapt out of her chair and into his arms. Sango turned and watched in amazement at their actions (and at the fact that Kagome was that close to Miroku and he didn't even make a move on her) and affections towards each other.

Miroku pulled away and rested his head on Kagome's, their noses slightly touching. Both smiled at each other as if they'd known each other for the past ten lifetimes.

"My my, Kagome-chan, you've really grown into a beautiful and formidable woman since the last time we met." Miroku complimented laughing. Kagome pouted out her lips and looked away.

"That's not funny Miroku." Kagome grabbed the monk by the nose "When will you stop joking around with me, I'm not six anymore...so?" Kagome added, letting go, "have you found her yet?" Everything suddenly went quiet. Miroku turned around and looked up at the red ceiling.

"No, and I won't give up. I'll search forever if I have to." He said gently. Kagome jumped up to his height and grasped his shoulder.

"Well, when you do find her, don't forget to ask her your infamous question my dear monk. You never know, she just might." Kagome stopped suddenly and began laughing hysterically. Miroku turned towards her with a huge smile on his face, one Sango hadn't seen before on anyone; except her brother Kohaku. Reaching over he began to tickly Kagome.

She fidgeted like crazy as he moved his hands around her stomach. Soon after a few tickles she began to scream with laughter.

"Infamous question is it...hmm my dear Kagome?" Miroku laughed "I'll show you infamous." He added continuing to tickle her. Tears began to form in Kagome's eyes from all the tickling and trickle down her cheeks.

Just as Inu Yasha walked out the door, he heard the screams. Noticing beforehand that Kagome had gone, he ran at his fastest pace down the stairs. Stopping at the foot he saw a dark haired man standing in front of Kagome, punching her. She just stood there, screaming with tears in her eyes. Sango stood behind her, slightly laughing.

"Sango, you wench, why aren't you helping Kagome from that bastard." Inu Yasha called out. Everything suddenly stopped and the man stopped assaulting Kagome and turned to Inu Yasha.

"Inu Yasha?" Both of the girls asked, confused, at the same time.

Inu Yasha rushed forward and pulled his sword out of its sheath. A flash of light shone as the old scabbard transformed into a whole dog fang. Landing down between the assailant and Kagome, Inu Yasha held his sword strong and proud. Miroku jumped back just in time to dodge the slice of the blade landing down.

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome screamed from behind him.

"Shut up." He yelled back.

"Now now. Inu Yasha, is that really any way to treat a lady such as Kagome-chan?" Miroku mocked, laughing slightly.

"Better than you treated her you bastard. How dare you call as if she's yours." Inu Yasha replied charging forward with his sword held high.

Miroku dodged again and jumped onto the other side of the room, on a table. Inu Yasha threw his sword and shattered the table to pieces. And with no flat surface, Miroku fell over and landed on his back. Inu Yasha advanced, with his hand clenched in a tight fist.

"I'll show you how to treat a woman." He yelled.

"Wait, wait! You have this all wrong." Miroku pleaded, reaching around for a weapon, remembering he had left his staff in his room.

"Like hell it is!" Inu Yasha exclaimed.

Kagome who stood aside watched the two men fight and watched Miroku trip and fall. Many times she and Sango called out for them to stop but neither heard. She ran out of ideas on how to stop them and seeing Miroku about to be struck, Kagome did the only thing she could think of.

Breaking out into a frantic run, and almost tripping over her dress, Kagome ran towards Miroku. Being closer than Inu Yasha, she made it just a few seconds ahead of him. Jumping down and covering herself over Miroku she turned her head towards Inu Yasha, staring him in the eyes.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, right before Miroku and let his hand fall to his side. Pulling his blade out of the floor, he placed it back in its sheath. Kagome seeing that he had calmed moved off of Miroku. Quickly he stood up and dusted himself off.

Inu Yasha reached over and offered Kagome a hand.

And so did Miroku.

At the same time.

The two men stared at each other. Kagome letting out a loud sigh helped herself up and dusted off her dress.

"What the heck do you think your doing!?! HUH? Coming in, breaking everything just because you 'assumed' that I was being hurt?" Kagome began to yell. Miroku, knowing her all too well, back away and headed towards Sango at the counter.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Inu Yasha yelled back.

"Don't give me that. Do you take me for an idiot?"

"When did I ever say that?!" Inu Yasha continued to yell, but felt his anger and heartbeat slow down as he looked into Kagome's eyes.

"You just did you jerk!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" He replied, ignoring Miroku's comments about using inappropriate language in front of the womenfolk.

"You just did. Do you take me for that big of an idiot that I'd let myself get abused by some stranger?" Inu Yasha was left speechless. "I'm not one of your fan club girls, Mr. High and mighty- look-at-me-and-my-stupid-big-sword, who want you to save them at every possible chance."

"Fan club girls?" Inu Yasha responded slightly stunned.

"Don't think I don't know who you are, Mr. Inu Yasha, the amazing painter. I've seen your fan clubs following you, and you seem to enjoy the attention with a great deal."

As the two bickered away like little children, Miroku took this chance to talk to the ravishing beauty behind the counter. First he ordered a juice and watched the two scream at each other at the top of their lungs.

"Kagome never changes." He said with a laugh.

"You've know her very long, Houshi-sama?" Sango asked, slightly delighted to see Kagome up and active.

"Long doesn't begin to describe it." He replied turning to face her. "We grew up, in the same village, next door to each other. She lived in a temple; I lived in the temple beside her. She came to my temple for schooling and I went to hers for training. Her family became my family, since I never had one."

"I'm sorry." Sango apologized.

"No need, I never knew them so I don't know what they're like, for all I know they could have been murders." He stopped to take a sip of his juice. "This brings back lots of memories. Kagome was such a calm girl when she was young, so quiet and beating everyone in studies. However, she was never very strong – very very frail. I'm surprised she can even shout for this long and not need to catch her breath." A smile appeared on his face.

'_She's getting healthier, just as Mushin-san had predicted. As long as she doesn't get hurt emotionally, she should live a long and prosperous life. And now that I'm here, I'll make sure of it._' He thought to himself, with a smile on his face.

Soon after the screaming stopped when Kagome began to sway and stumble. Inu Yasha quickly grabbed a hold of her and brought her over for a drink. Sitting down next to her, he watched her as she drank her juice. Slamming the cup down she was about to open her mouth when he spoke first.

"Kagome, shut up." He began. "I was wrong okay?" He whispered gently, only that she could hear. Kagome closed her mouth and looked at him, eyes wide open, slowly her look softened and she smiled. Brushing aside a strand of hair on her face, Kagome turned to Miroku.

"What brings you to merry old England Miroku-san? I thought you were heading off to France?" She asked smiling again. Miroku smiled back at her, reaching out he held her hand in his.

"I came to see you my dear Kagome." He replied. Kagome picked up the cup and gave Miroku a hard whack on the head, giving him a bruise.

"I told you I'm not six anymore." She said angrily. "I thought you found your girl; you know the one in Scotland with the red pigtails?"

Miroku gave a small laugh and Kagome sighed.

"Are you in search of someone Houshi-sama?" Sango asked, butting in.

"I'm looking for a childhood friend." He replied.

"His French girl!" Kagome added. Suddenly, Sango felt something inside her click.

"French girl?" She asked.

"Yup," Kagome continued before Miroku could stop her, "a girl Miroku fell in love with when he was 4 and he's been searching for her ever since."

"I see." She added, thinking away furiously. Something bothered her greatly about this 'French girl' they were talking about.

"Who cares, it's just a human." Inu Yasha added angrily from the other side.

"Just a human?" Miroku demanded, angrily. "It seems that you, Inu Yasha, have never had anyone to care for is it true?" The group looked at Inu Yasha.

"I-I have. Who needs to know anyways?" He replied, turning around and pouting.

"Well," Miroku added, grabbing for Sango's hands. "As long as I have Sango's lovely company, I don't think I'll need my French girl." Sango wrenching her hands free, she grabbed her hiraikotsu out of nowhere and hit him hard on the head.

Kagome turned in her chair holding her head.

"You never change do you Miroku." She said with a smirk.

_Wow...I feel so stupid now. I uploaded the same thing into two different chapters....smacks head Very Sorry about that. It was late...I blame the night. Anyways..thank you to unheard screams for pointy at my mistake. Thank you very much (bows). _


	5. The Red Tower

I own nothing!

Warning: This chapter contains a slight hint of lemon.

---Chapter 5---

The Red Tower

Inu Yasha felt his brain pound inside his head as he woke up. Wiping the drool from the side of his lips he looked across the room at the sleeping body in the bed. Kagome had her back to him and the covers high up over her head. Picking up his sword, he gently opened the door and made his way downstairs.

It was still early, even Sango wasn't up. The cups were still left over from last night. Inu Yasha walked around dazed and stumbling into tables and over chairs as he made his way across to the bar. Picking up a cup left on the counter he gave it a sniff and held it far from his face. His head pounded at the smell of the strong liquor in the glass, but tasting his mouth he drank what was left and slammed the cup down on the counter.

"Still drinking Inu Yasha?" A voice asked from behind him. Inu Yasha did not turn to see who it was. The man behind him gave a laugh. "You really know how to drink don't you? I've never seen one person or demon drink that much and not pass out." He added.

"Well I'm not a normal person am I?" Inu Yasha responded, slightly sarcastic.

"No I guess you aren't." Miroku added walking over and leaning on the bar beside Inu Yasha. "But then again, Kagome seemed to be having fun with you last night, so I guess you wouldn't be normal then would you?" He said smiling to himself.

Inu Yasha felt himself blush from his comment. Thinking back, he remembered looking at a drunken Kagome in front of him holding out her hand.

_"Come on Inu Yasha...rock, paper, or scissors. Whoever loses drinks this!" She said, her voice slurred, pointing at a small cup of white wine sitting beside her. _

_"Kagome, I think you've had enough liquor for one night." Inu Yasha suggested pushing her hands down. _

_"Nonsense, you're just chicken to play." Slowly Kagome stood up form her seat and began walking over towards Inu Yasha, stumbling occasionally. Quickly taking a look back at the bar, Sango and Miroku were very preoccupied in their matters to notice them. Before he could stop her, Kagome had taken a seat right across Inu Yasha's lap._

_Lifting her arm she wrapped it around his neck and pulled herself in closer to him. Inu Yasha sat frozen in his seat looking at a pink cheeked Kagome. She inched her face slowly closer to his and leaned all her body weight on him, pushing him backwards. _

_Shifting her position, Kagome kneeled on Inu Yasha's seat and sat in straddle position over his hips. Taking in a deep breath Inu Yasha swallowed hard, he was having an extremely hard time controlling his thoughts. Kagome reached over at Inu Yasha and ran her hands under his shirt. _

_She pushed her soft hands up his chest, feeling his toned muscles and strong build. Slowly she raised his shirt off his back and smiled at him. Inu Yasha felt himself turn red and had a hard time swallowing. Nudging her knees, Kagome inched closer to his body. Taking her hands, she ran them up his chest again and leaned in close to his face. _

_"Come on Inu Yasha, play rock paper scissors one more time. Trust me, it'll be worth it." She said seductively. Inu Yasha stared at her deep eyes and swallowed again. Kagome's dress was slightly loose over the chest and Inu Yasha shifted in every direction to look away. Smiling she lifted her hands from his chest and grabbed his face. Turning his eyes so that they faced her, she saw a slight red rise in his cheeks as he looked down at her. Giving him a smile, she turned around and grabbed the drink. _

_Sitting in her straddle position, she eased herself onto his hips and held her hand in front of his face._

"_Play." She commanded to him. _

_Lifting his hands he rocked them up and down three times simultaneously with her and stuck out two fingers to represent scissors. Kagome had her whole hand open – paper. She had lost. Taking the drink, she swigged it down in one gulp and laughed as she wiped the side of her mouth. _

_"You know..." Kagome said, shifting again over Inu Yasha's hips – making him feel extremely uncomfortable, "you are a very handsome man Inu Yasha, has anyone told you that?" Running a finger down his chest Kagome shifted her position again. _

_"Thank...thank ...you" Inu Yasha said slowly. Kagome smiled at him again. Running her hands over his chest, Kagome leaned in close to his face. Inu Yasha caught whiff of Kagome's scent again and lost himself. Lifting his hands, he wrapped them around her waist and pulled her in. Kagome smiled once again. Lifting her face, she closed her eyes and leaned in close to his face. As she inched closer to his face, she ran her hands up his body and pushed all her weight now on him. _

_"I have a reputation of being the best." Kagome whispered to him. _

_He soon felt her soft breath on his skin. Suddenly, Inu Yasha felt himself falling backwards and just a second later, he sensed a hard knock on the back of his head. When he opened his eyes, he was looking up at the ceiling and Kagome had fallen asleep on his chest, drunk. _

He could still feel her body on his; her touch lingered on his skin.

"Well, it looked like you and Sango were enjoying each other's company a little too much." Inu Yasha said quickly, as a comeback. Miroku's smile dropped from his face and his expression suddenly went blank.

_Sango had exquisite skin, and tasted even better than Miroku could have imagined. Her silky hair, her lush red lips and her beautiful eyes. Even though Miroku was against drinking, he would allow it if he could spend one more time with Sango like he did last night at the bar. _

_They hadn't done anything in particular, none of them did. Miroku was only allowed a taste of Sango's lips, but only slightly before she turned and ran to the bathroom. He saw no more of her after that. But Sango was an absolutely exquisite being. And when Miroku says exquisite, he means exquisite. _

"That's beside the point." He quickly responded quickly turning away.

Inu Yasha inched away and began walking back to his room when Miroku called out to him again.

"Hey, do you know who left this morning?" Miroku asked.

"Someone left?" Inu Yasha asked back, turning around to face him.

"Yeah. Before dawn, someone got up and left in a hurry. Didn't you hear them slamming the door on their way out?"

"No." Inu Yasha responded. A feeling suddenly came over him and he ran back to his room. Kagome had not moved. Slowly, he inched his way over to the bed and placed a hand on the covers. Pulling, he raised the blankets to find a row of pillows under it.

_Shit_

Ripping the pillows off the bed, Inu Yasha heard the ruffle of a small sheet of paper. Looking up, a slip of paper gently glided down towards his face. Reaching up, he gently pinched it and brought the paper to his face. Turning it over, he read the message over and over again. Crumbling it in his hands, he grabbed a small sack at the end of the bed and ran out the door.

Sango walked out of her room and over to the bar. Miroku was leaning against the bar staring at her. Sango stopped dead in her tracks and quickly turned back towards her room- she was still embarrassed from the night before. Miroku's lips left a tingling feeling on her and she couldn't look at him anymore without turning as red as a beat.

Suddenly, Sango stopped in her doorway and turned around. The sound of pounding feet could be heard from far, and they were getting louder. Inu Yasha skidded along the floor and ran towards the counter. Grabbing his sword in one hand, he grabbed Miroku's wrist in the other and ran out the door.

Miroku had a hard time keeping up with Inu Yasha's half demon speed and stumbled constantly. Inu Yasha seeing his difficulty in keeping up stopped suddenly and turned to face him. Miroku bent over to catch his breath before looking into his bright amber eyes as they constantly scanned for something.

"What the hell was that Inu Yasha?" He asked, slightly angry.

"Kagome left." Inu Yasha said quickly. Turning around quickly, he dropped to the ground and began sniffing at the dirt.

"Left, what do you mean left?" Miroku asked slightly confused, still trying to catch his breath.

"You heard someone leave in the morning. Well it was Kagome."

"Why?" Miroku asked again. Without answering, Inu Yasha reached into his pockets and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper, holding it out to Miroku. Taking the paper, he gently smoothed it out and read the message.

_Thank you for helping me. I am very sorry for troubling all of you. At the end of the bed is a bag of gold, it should be enough to cover the room fee and everything else, and for all the trouble I have caused. Please do not worry about me. Please do not come find me. _

_Kagome _

"Okay?" Miroku said looking up, puzzled. "And the point of finding her is?"

"You don't need to know, just find her." Inu Yasha commanded, walking forward a little and dropping to the ground again. "Besides, I don't want her money." He added, running forwards. He had caught a hint at her scent, it wasn't strong but it was definitely Kagome.

Miroku stuffed the paper into his shirt and ran forwards after Inu Yasha. Turning one way then another for what felt like hours, Miroku felt his energy run low and slow to a walk as Inu Yasha ran forward at top speed.

"Inu...Yasha..." He called, in a low whisper, trying to catch his breath. "Wait. Some of us aren't blessed with demon strength."

Inu Yasha suddenly stopped.

Miroku looked at him and then looked at his surroundings. His hand was leaning against a broken wall, plastered with mismatched bricks. The ground was scattered with broken glass bottles and ripped pieces of clothing hung from every corner – one looked strangely like a pair of mens undergarments. Miroku felt a shiver pass through his body and quickly turned away.

They were in the red light district. [Does England even have a red light district...assume it does. See bottom for short note on Red Light Districts.]

Miroku, somewhat surprised, staggered over to Inu Yasha's side and looked at him. His attention was somewhere else, staring at something. Miroku turned to see where he was looking.

A large red house came into view. It looked strangely similar to Asian architecture. The green roofs ruffled and curved at it ends, long red poles everywhere. On top of the large wooden doors, hung a sigh painted in gold.

It read: _The Red Tower. _

Before Miroku got a word or even a gasp out of his mouth Inu Yasha marched right into the large red doors and disappeared behind what looked like pink silk curtains. Miroku stood out in the road, somewhat in shock. The Kagome he had known since she was no older than three worked here, of all the places in the world. Although she had a pleasant face to look upon, she had just turned 17.

Pulling his thoughts together, Miroku marched in right after Inu Yasha through the pink silk curtains. As the soft silk caressed his skin, a heavy scent entered his nose and clogged his lungs.

The room inside was large and high. The center open and red square tables placed strategically across the floor. At almost every table, sat a large or medium sized man surrounded by two to three beautiful ladies, holding up small cups of wine to their large faces trying to catch their attention.

There were two floors all together. The top floor was covered in small windows made of paper and ran all the way around the top floor. A heavy scent of perfume, sweat, food and flower petals lingered in the air. Giggles and moans of delight could be heard from every corner, along with forceful grunts. The sound carried all around the large room, filling every corner and crevice.

A busty blond girl wearing a deep blue kimono walked by Miroku holding up a tray or wine and stopped to give the monk a good look up and down. Catching Miroku's eyes, she blushed and flashed him a smile. Her face was pleasant, round pink cheeks and lush red lips. She fluttered her eyes quickly at him, like the flapping of a humming bird's wings, showing her long lashes as she swayed her hips and walked away. Miroku – entranced - followed her like a dog on a leash and disappeared under giggles and flashes of bare skin.

Inu Yasha stood in the room, baffled by the sight. _Kagome works....here?!_. Holding a sleeve up, he covered his nose and looked around for his raven haired girl. A couple girls passed him giving him a good look and swaying their hips at him to catch his attention, but Inu Yasha did not notice.

Somewhere in the large room a strong voice called out.

"KAGOME! Where the hell is that lousy little bitch?" Inu Yasha tried to pinpoint the voice, but there were too many people talking all at once.

"KAGOME!" It called again forcefully. "Get up stairs now!"

_Upstairs?! _Inu Yasha's brain screamed at him inside his head. Frantically he looked around but he failed to look behind him at a pair of scared brown eyes hiding behind a large pole watching him.

Kagome had seen both men the moment they walked in and hid herself behind the first thing she could find, praying that they didn't see her like this. Tightening her sea green kimono, the attire required here, she pulled on her apron and prepared to play her part in the _Red Tower. _Taking a scrap sheet of cloth from her pocket, she tied it around her hair and braided her hair quickly. Picking up a large wooden bowl she held it up to her head, covering her face as she ran as fast as she could by Inu Yasha and up the stairs.

Inu Yasha swore he caught her scent just a second ago. It had passed by him and disappeared into the mist of smells encircling him. Inu Yasha felt his head get dizzy; the scent was too strong for his nose. _Find Kagome, get out. Find Kagome, get out. _He repeated to himself inside his head, helping him keep his cool. Looking around, he saw a girl wearing a green kimono with a small matching bonnet on her head running up the stairs.

_Lovely legs_. His thought to himself. Soon, the thought of Kagome drifted from his mind and he found his legs moving by themselves towards the girl whose face eluded him. Her hips swayed from carrying the heave weight in her hands as she staggered up the stairs. Strands of her dark hair were sticking out everywhere from her pigtails at each side. Watching her with his eyes, Inu Yasha memorized each movement of her body and every rock of her body as it moved into a room, closing the door behind her.

Kagome carried the bucket up into her designated room and looked around. Dropping herself to her knees she began to move in a rhythmic motion. Up. Down. Up. Down. Her kimono moving higher up her legs as she swayed back and forth. Giving a push, she moved forward and continued her rhythm. Sitting straight again, her legs under her, she gave a happy sigh to herself at her work.

Wiping the layer of sweat that had former on her forehead, she dipped her hands into the bucket; feeling the water seep between her sweaty hands. Bending down again she moved to a rhythmic motion once again. The candles lit around the room flickered as the door swung open a man stood before Kagome. Looking up from the floor, Kagome quickly shuddered.

_It's too early, I'm not done yet._ She thought to herself.

"Ah good." The man said, his speech slurred and heavily scented of liquor. "They sent me the maid special. I better get what I expected; I got the empress and the safari treatment. Both horrible." He continued on in a low growl. Kagome quickly stood up and wiped her hands.

_I'm not done cleaning yet. Maid special! What the hell? _

"Sir, um I think you have the wrong person. I don't work here. I just clean the floors." Kagome said quickly picking up the bucket and heading for the door.

The man forcefully stretched his arm out in front of Kagome's face just as she scrambled by him, blocking her way. Looking down at her, he saw that part of her kimono lay open over her chest and looked up at her face. She was indeed what he had asked for; pretty face, nice body, attitude that could rock his world.

Giving her a deep lustful look, he let his eyes drink in her body. Kagome felt a fear mount in her body as she staggered away from him. Dropping the bucket, water washed her feet as she backed off from the stranger. He moved in closer towards her, edging her closer to the large mahogany bed in the center of the room. Loosing her balance, Kagome toppled over and landed on the bed, looking up, the man towered over her with a malicious smile on his face.

Crawling on top of Kagome before she could resist or fight back, he leaned down and planted his lips onto her. He let his tongue wander and seek entrance. Kagome fought back but he didn't relinquish his grip on her. Leaning his body on top of hers he pushed himself on her with all his might. Running his tongue along her neck, he tasted her pure skin and smiled to himself.

Grabbing at her kimono, he tore the collar to opposite sides and ripped the tie keeping her clothes in place. Kagome screamed with all her might and held her arms to her chest, covering herself.

_Please, someone help me. Please._ Her mind cried inside her head as she felt the man grab at her wrists.

Fighting back with all her might, Kagome knew she was fighting a lost battle. Opening her mouth, she screamed one last time with all her might before her vision blurred and hot tears streamed down her face.

_He wasn't going to stop; he was going to take her by force._

The stranger lunged down on her again and sucked at her chest, moving down towards her breasts. Kagome felt the lights around her go out, she felt the darkness crawl over her.

A ray of light from nowhere glimmered in her eyes, someone was calling her name.

_[For those who don't know what it is...umm, search Yahoo for Red Light District, it's mainly in Europe I think. And well, if you don't know, a briefing would be that it's a place for men with too much money and women with too little (no offence intended). If you still don't understand...well... _


	6. Knight In Shining Armor

I still own nothing.

Note: Does this chapter contain lemon....? Yes..? No...? Maybe..? I don't really know but this is just a warning.

Chapter 6

Inu Yasha followed the same steps that the girl took and came to the door she entered. As he was about to enter, a young girl walked by and knocked him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. Quickly, he moved back from the door and looked around him. From up on the second floor he could get a good look down at the bottom floor.

Running over to the edge, he leaned his body out and looked down – his eyes constantly searching. A brunette walked up beside him and leaned over the edge, imitating him.

"What'cha looking for?" She asked in a playful tone. Inu Yasha quickly turned towards her.

"A girl." He replied, turning back to his search. The girl, taken back slightly at the lack of attention he was giving her, moved over closer towards him.

"You know, there are plenty of girls here who could probably satisfy you, so you don't really need to look for one specific girl." She said smiling, slightly hinting at herself as the top of her kimono slid over she shoulders, exposing her perfectly bronzed shoulder. Not sure whether that was deliberate or by accident, Inu Yasha felt his face grow red as he looked at her; eyes wide.

"I'm not looking for that kind of girl." He said to her. She looked up at him, into his deep amber eyes.

"Then is this girl your woman?" She asked. Inu Yasha stared at her. Staring at her, he noticed the first time how young she was. She looked to be no older than 14, and she was working here. Wearing the same thing as every other girl, a short kimono, she leaned in closer towards him. "Well is she?" She asked him again.

Inu Yasha hesitated. "No." He said finally.

"Then why look for her?" She asked giggling. Inu Yasha quickly turned away from her and continued searching. The girl sighed loudly beside him trying to get his attention, when he didn't move she walked away – slightly disappointed.

_Damn it._ Inu Yasha thought to himself. _There are too many people, I can't get a scent. I had it a minute ago, where is it? _

A chilling scream pierce the air behind him, turning around he looked into the room behind him. No one seemed to notice the scream, only Inu Yasha. Brushing it off as some girl trying to make some cash, he turned around and continued searching. A second scream came to his ears, this time louder. Turning around again, he looked at the door.

Walking towards the door, he pushed with all his might on the fragile doors. Knocking the door aside, he looked into the dimly lit room – his eyes adjusting. On the bed sat a man leaning over a young girl. As Inu Yasha stepped over the bottom of the door, he felt water seeping in between his toes. Looking down, a red bucket rested upside down surrounded by a pool of water. A small rag swam around in the dirty water and stopped beside Inu Yasha's foot, soaking his skin and seeping water in between his toes.

Glancing at the bed again, he met the man's eyes. The girl on the bed had her eyes closed, silver tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked strangely familiar to Inu Yasha. Her raven hair, her thin red lips and her small nose.

_Kagome!_

"Kagome!" He called out. She didn't move. Turning to the man, Inu Yasha looked at him. "What the hell do you think your doing?" He yelled in anger.

The stranger got of Kagome and wiped the side of his lips. "I'm enjoying what I paid for." He replied, smiling.

Placing a hand on his sword, Inu Yasha looked at the man. Feeling threatened by Inu Yasha's sword the man took a few drunken steps toward Inu Yasha, forming fists with his hands. Punching at Inu Yasha, he missed by at least an inch and tripped over the water bucket. Falling, his head hit the door and slammed it shut.

Staggering to his feet again, he gave a loud roar. He lifted his hands to his face again and formed two fists. Inu Yasha looked at the drunk and did the same thing. He walked around in a circle, tripping over his own feet occasionally, attempting to keep an eye on his opponent who was mirroring his every move.

Knowing the man couldn't win, Inu Yasha stood where he was waiting for him. With the last of his strength the guest lounged forwards at Inu Yasha, fists high. Lifting his right hand, Inu Yasha punched the man on top of the head and knocked him to the floor. He landed with a loud thud. Dusting off his hands, Inu Yasha made his way over to the bed.

Kagome lay shivering on the bed. Her hair spread in every direction. Her clothes were torn, exposing her soft skin. Opening her eyes, she saw Inu Yasha staring into her eyes. Turning onto her side, she wrapped her arms across her chest tightly. Kagome crawled into a small ball and held herself tightly; her skin was sticky with sweat and spit. The man's tongue had touched all over her and left their putrid smell on her skin. She felt as though she was going to barf at the smell of his scent on her skin. Shuddering again she looked up at Inu Yasha.

He remained expressionless as he stood before her. Biting his lip, Inu Yasha walked towards her and sat down on the edge of the bed with his back turned to her. Kagome grabbed onto herself tighter as she felt the tears come.

Inu Yasha sat before her, back hunched and speechless. What could he say her to make her feel better? Turning he saw the tears flowing out from under Kagome's eyelids. Inside, Inu Yasha felt his body crumple in pain as the tears rolled down her face and soaked the bed. Reaching over, he rested his hand on her exposed shoulder.

Kagome shuttered slightly at his touch but found herself calming down slowly. She felt his skin on her, his rough fingers covered with calluses from holding the paint brush for so many years; she smelt his scent, a mix of fresh grass from deep within the forest and the oils that he used for his paintings. She had decided to leave him and yet he came to find her. Yet again he saved her in her time of need.

When Kagome laid under the man, she felt herself slowly slipping away from everything around her. Then the door burst open and there stood Inu Yasha bathed in the light from behind him. He looked like a knight in shinning armor and at that exact moment Kagome felt her heart skip a beat, almost coming to a stop.

Inu Yasha looked down at Kagome; her eyes were red as was her face. As he lifted his hand of her shoulder, his hand shook. It longed to touch her skin again, to feel her soft silky skin under his hard hands. His hand paused in mid air and shook again. The feel of her skin was like nothing he'd felt before. For the past ten years of his life he had dedicated his life to painting.

In each of his creations, he pictured it in his mind and painted it onto his canvas. His hard hands grasped the paintbrushes and flew across the board, dashing color here and there. However, when he touched Kagome it was something different. It felt as if his wildest dreams had come true and he didn't even notice it till it as too late. Like the softest silk, the feeling of milk seeping through in between the fingers; something from out of this world.

His hand moved towards her again, and he quickly pulled it back to his side. Reaching for his shirt he unbuttoned it and let it slip of his shoulders. Picking it up, he placed it to the side as he got off the bed. Reaching over he grasped Kagome by both arms and lifted her into sitting position on the bed. With her arms still around her chest he picked up his shirt and draped it over her slender shoulders.

The shirt hung loosely, attempting to hold on but slipped off to one side exposing Kagome's shoulder. Taking each button into his hands, Inu Yasha buttoned it up and after he was done adjusted the shirt over her shoulders again.

Kagome watched Inu Yasha as he covered her with his shirt. Wrapping them around her shoulders, she watched him as he buttoned a couple of the buttons and smooth out some of the wrinkles. Releasing arms from around her she felt the softness of the shirt over her. Relaxing slightly, she slipped her arms into the sleeves and let her hands hang loose inside them. Looking up at him Kagome forced a small smile at him and he smiled back at her.

"Did he do anything to you?" He asked in a gentle tone. Kagome shook her head from side to side. That was all he had asked. Kagome had expected him to yell at her, scold her for being in a place like this, look down on her for working her, she had expected him to react and scorn her like everyone else she knew but nothing happened. He just sat there in front of her asking her if she was all right. Looking him in the eyes, Kagome leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She felt Inu Yasha draw back under her from surprise and try to move away but Kagome held on tight. Slowly, Inu Yasha relaxed under her and remained where he was. Slowly he lifted his hands up and wrapped them around her waist holding onto her as she held onto him.

Inu Yasha closed his eyes and took in a deep quiet breath. Kagome's scent once again filled his nostrils and made his head dizzy. His whole body shook as he felt Kagome's weight on him once again. Although he didn't know, his body had longed for her touch since their last meeting. Her soft skin, her supple breasts, her intoxicating smell, her smooth features; everything about her made him lose control of mind and body, not being able to control himself he wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her close into him so that her chest pressed against his.

Kagome moved back slightly but felt a wave of relaxation wash over her. His soft white hair swished by her face as he pulled her in closer. This was her first time being so close to someone, feeling their breath on their neck, having their hands wrapped around her waist. The only people who ever held her this close were her parents – who she remembered little of, and Miroku – when he'd look after her for Moushin-sama.

Kagome eased herself into Inu Yasha and leaned herself onto him for support. Closing her eyes she rested her head against his shoulder and let out a whimper. The tears slowly rose to the surface and forced themselves down her cheek.

"I'm sorry." Kagome whispered, holding tightly onto Inu Yasha's shirt. He remained quiet and kept his hold on Kagome. Pushing herself off of him, Kagome wiped her tears and looked Inu Yasha in the eyes. Giving him a gentle smile, she pushed the hair from her face and slowly slid to the edge of the bed beside him. Sitting there, the two remained silent and stared down at the floor not knowing what to say.

"Why are you working here?" Inu Yasha asked finally.

"I..." Kagome hesitated. Turning to Inu Yasha she looked upon his face and turned her head back. "I needed the money."

"Then why didn't you find a suitable job to work at...other than here." He replied.

Kagome remained quiet. Feeling the silence drag on, Inu Yasha stood up and turned to Kagome. Placing one hand on his scabbard, Inu Yasha grabbed Kagome's hand with his free hand. Leading her out the door, he dragged her down the stairs and towards the door. Leaving her there for a minute, Inu Yasha ventured back into the crowd in search of Miroku.

He found him in the company of five very perky girls. Each of the girls had a full head of blond hair and rather alluring figures. A row of cups surrounded them from right to left and every one of them cheeks had turned a bright pink.

"Ladies, ladies. I'm not saying I'm a hero." Miroku explained, keeping a rather beautiful girl close to him. "But...well, I guess I am." He added, laughing at himself. The girls around him laughed like their lives depended on it and as Inu Yasha walked up to them, each of them turned their hair towards the white haired hanyou.

"Inu Yasha." Miroku asked his speech heavy with the scent of liquor. "Would you care to join me and these five lovely women for a drink?" The girls around him leaned in closer towards Miroku and looked up at Inu Yasha. The one closest to Miroku, leaned into him and lifted her lips to his neck, nibbling away at his skin making him turn bright red. Lifting her leg, she crawled up his leg and rested a hand on his chest.

Inu Yasha, slightly disgusted by the girl, pushed his way into the crowd and grabbed Miroku's wrist and pulled him with all his might. The girl on him fell to the floor with a loud thud and looked up giving Inu Yasha a deep stare of hatred. Pulling Miroku, Inu Yasha moved through the groups of people back towards Kagome at the door.

Miroku followed Inu Yasha like a dog on a leash, his mind very affected by the amount of alcohol the girls forced down his throat. Pulling his wrist out of Inu Yasha's grasp, he swayed slightly before a sudden feeling came up from the pit of his stomach. Running as fast as he can, he ran past Kagome and outside where he leaned over behind and tree.

Inu Yasha made his way up to Kagome just as Miroku ran past them with lightning fast speed. Kagome quickly reacted and was about to run after Miroku when Inu Yasha stopped her and held her back.

"I suggest that you don't go after him" He said with a tone of disgust.

_Ewe._

Looking out the door, past the pink silk curtains Kagome saw Miroku's figure leaning over behind a tree. Feeling slightly disgusted she turned back to Inu Yasha. He didn't look at her; he just kept his gaze straight ahead. Finally he looked down at her and smiled.

"Lets go." He said gently with a gentle face. Taking a few steps past Kagome he stepped over the door frame he looked back and held out a hand out for Kagome; like a knight holding out his hand for his maiden in waiting. Kagome held herself back; smiling at him with sadness filling her eyes she shook her head.

At this moment, Kagome wanted more than anything to take his hand but she remained behind the curtains holding her hands to her chest.

"I can't."


End file.
